Sifter.



F. L. KIRBY.

SIFTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6.1916- Patehted Nov. 6 1917.

gwuawfwa UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS L. KIRBY,\OF GLOBE, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD T0 HENRY L. TAYLOR, OF GLOBE, ARIZONA, 'AND ONE-THIRD TO THEODORE '1. SWIFT, O1

SAIFORD, ARIZONA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS L. KIRBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Globe, in the county of Gila afid State of Arizona, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sifters, of which the followin is a specification.

fihe invention relates to sifters, and is more especially designed for sitting flour.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a sifter of this character wherein the body thereof has arranged therein a plurality of sieves disposed in superposed relation and agitators which cooperate with the sieves to prevent packing or clogging of the material and also for cutting or breaking the lumps which may be in the material.

Another object of the invention is the provision ofa sifter of this characterwhere- 1n the necessity of separate and distinct sifting operations is eliminated as the plurality of sieves will actupon the material so as to thoroughly sift the same in a single operation of the sifter with despatch.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of a sifter of this character wherein the sediment from the sieves can be readily dumped or discharged therefrom through a side opening of the body of the sifter, which opening is normally closed through the medium of a slide, and in this manner the sifter can be conveniently cleaned after the use thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sifter of this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in operation, strong,

durable and inexpensive in manufacture Other objects will bein art obvious and in art hereinafter set ,fort

he invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of ale ments and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, andthe sco e of the a plication of which will be in icated in t 1e appended claim. a In the accompanying drawings:

constructed in accordance with the invention' Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof Fig. 3 is atop plan view;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sitter sirrim Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

Application filed June 8 1916. Serial No. 102,001.

Big. is a side elevation of the uppermost agitator.

$imilar reference characters indicate correspondin parts throughout the several views of t e drawing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, A designates the cylindrical body or casing of the sifter which is of the appropriate or convenient size and is formed exteriorly thereofffjis is usual, with a suitable handle B for the holdingofthe sifter when in use. Provided in the body A circumferentially thereof are spaced grooves or channels 5 in which are fitted the rims ,6 of sieves 7 which, in this instance, are preferably three in number, and which is made from wire mesh. The mesh of the respective series of sieves can be varied should the occasion require, and these rims 6 thereofare suitably fas-' tened in place interiorly of the body or casing of the 'sifter.

Mounted on the up er end of the body or case A is a triple lirace 8 having journaled centrallytherein an agitator stem or shaft 9 which is passed downwardly centrally through the series of sieves 7, while the upper end of the stem or shaft is formed with a crank 10 carrying a loose knob 11 so that it can be convenientl turned for the rotation of the stem or s aft 9 which has fitted thereon the agitators 12, 13 and 14 respectively, the sieves 7 being each of substantially hemispherical shape or concaved at their inner sides, and the a itators are bowed similarly to the shape 0 the sieves so as to work against the concaved surfaces thereof for preventing the cloggingof said sieves with the material and also for break in up the lumps in the material.-

.he agitator 12 has connected with its limbs the curvilinear wires 15 which travel indifi'erent paths With respect to each other and follow one another in a corkscrew mo- A is an opening 16 which is normally closed through'the medium an gate or slide 17, g

the same bein engaged with ears 18 cut and stamped rom the body or casing A,

as shown, and this slide or gate has a finger hole 19 thereon so that it canhe opened and closed, the opening 16 being placed relative to the-sieves 7 so thatwthe residue or sediment can be readily discharged therefrom through the opening in the sifter for the cleaning thereof.

It will be notedthat When the sifter is in use and operated that there is required but a single operation thereof for the proper sitting of the materiahsuch as flour, and thereby eliminatingthenecessity of several operations of thesifter for the repeated siftingof the'rnaterial is usual, which is usually required iinjrecipes for cooking. The material Willbe thoroughly sifted when the agitators arelset in'motion, as these.

agitators cooperate withthe sieves 7 and precipitate the material therethrough.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the construction and operation of the herein described-sitter will be readily apparentand, therefore, a more extended explanation has been omitted.

Having thus described my invention, I 25 claim:

An agitator for sifters including a shaftg adapted to be mounted for rotation, and a series of arms extending from the shaftin pairs, the arms of each pair constituting a 30 concave formation 'vertieally of the shaft and an S-form curve horizontally of the I shaft and Wires corresponding in number to the number of arms and secured by-their upper ends to the shaft above the :ar1ns35 projected from. the shaft on curved lines approximately concentric outwardly and downwardly, with the end of each-wire projected from the shaft to thearmtona grad. ual increasing radius, with such ciariie in op- 40 position to the horizontal curvature of the arm to which it connects. I

In testimony whereofI affix my ature.

FRANCIS 'LmKI BY. 

